Cyclometer counter



March 31, A HOLZNER CYCLOMETER COUNTER Filed Sept. 5

R 8 7 m E a T N N \ILI W Z R .m mwr v m m HQ H WW Q g F m I. Y W m A Patented Mar. 31, .1953

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,633,298 CYCLOMETER COUNTER Adolf Holzner, Merrick, N. Y.

Application September 5, 1951, Serial No. 245,171

12 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to cyclometer counters, and is particularly concerned with counters involving quick reset mechanisms.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a counter system with improved zerosetting action.

A further object of this invention is to provide a counter system wherein zerosetting may be efficiently accomplished by one revolution of a reset shaft, in either direction.

Yet a further object is to provide, in an improved cyclometer counter, a zerosetting system wherein revolution of the reset shaft beyond the position for showing a zero reading will leave the numeral drums fixed at the zero settings thereof.

Along with the foregoing, it is an objective of this invention to provide a counter system characterized by economical manufacture and assembly of the component parts, and capable of dependable operation at high speeds as well as at relatively slow speeds.

In the preferred embodiment, the invention employs a series of counter drums, and spur gear intermittent motion transfer couplers therebetween, the transfer couplers being situated in partition plates between successive numeral drums. Within each drum is provided a large gear, fixed to the drum for rotation therewith, and normally engaged by the transfer gear element. A pin element is provided along with each large gear and drum combination, eccentrically situated and longitudinally movable along with the large gear in a direction parallel to the axis of the drum. The partition adjacent the drum is provided with a hole for engagement by said pin when the drum is set to the zero reading and the pin and gear are displaced from their normal position. So displaced, the large gear is out of engagement with the drive pinion portion of the intermittent motion transfer coupler. The shaft bearing portions of the drums in the respective portions are hollow, aligned axial passages being provided therethrough for a coaxial inner shaft which is employed as the reset shaft. A series of enlarged sections are provided on the reset shaft, one being situated within each drum, the enlarged portions being provided with serrated surfaces on the faces of the hubs of said gears. The large gear and pin of each numeral drum unit are confined within their normal position of gear engagement and retraction of the pin from contact with the adjacent partition, and the reset shaft is normally spring-urged in the same direction, to a position of substantial non-engagement of said enlarged sections and said hub faces.

With this mechanism, when the drums are positioned for a finite reading, resetting is accomplished by an axial displacement of the shaft to bring the enlarged sections thereof into forcible engagement with the respective hubs of the large gears centrally located in the respective numeral drums, and the respective gears are thereby disengaged and the pins urgedagainst the. respective partitions. Upon turning the axially displaced reset shaft, the respective drums with their disengaged large gears are turned until their respective pins arrive at the position of register with the partition holes (the zero-reading positions). As each drum arrives at its zeroreading position, the projection of its pin into the partition hole arrests the rotation of the drum, and relieves the reset shaft to be turned further-without any disturbance of the drum from its desired zero position. As will be apparent, all the drums with finite digit readings are picked up together by the reset shaft, but are individually released as their respective zero readings appear.

Fig. l is a front elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the counter system of the present invention, with all drums set at their zero reading positions, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section to aid in the understanding of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the reset mechanism spring and indent features, taken at the position indicated at 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of a large gear and pin and spring subcombin'ation from one of the drum units; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view of an intermittent driving gear and lockin cam element as employed in each intermittent drive transfer unit.

The systemillustrated in Fig. 1 includes a series of three drums H, l3 and It for units, tens and hundreds digit readings, respectively. Partition plates l1, I9, and 2! are provided with bearings for the respective drums, and two further plates '23 and 25 are included as the end plates of the assembly. These five plates may be of square shape, andmay be rigidly spaced as a frame by tie rods extending between and interconnecting the corners of the plates.

The counter input is by way of a hollow shaft 3! borne in a bushing 33 in partition 23, an input coupling gear 35 being shown provided on the externally extending end of shaft 3!. The left-hand end of shaft 3| terminates in a serrated drum 3! which mates with a serrated drum 39 or end gear element within drum II. An internal axially extending reset shaft 4| is provided within the counter. This shaft includes a gear-like serrated drum 33 on its left-hand end, and extends therefrom through drums I5, I3 and II, terminating at 45 within hollow shaft 3|. Three effective shaft enlargements 53 and 55 are provided on shaft 4|, situated within drums I I, I3, and 55, respectively. Each of these shaft enlargements may comprise a bushing slipped onto the shaft 4! and pinned thereto. The left-hand face of each such shaft enlargement or bushing is provided with shallow serrations or radial corrugations.

The intermittent motion intercoupling system between successive drums is best illustrated in the interior view of drum I3; it comprises a finger Wheel 51 attached to the hub 89 of drum II (see also Fig. 4), and a pinion 59 having six teeth for engagement by the two teeth BI and 63 of finger wheel 51 for -turn advancement of pinion 59 at the completion of each turn of drum I I and finger wheel 51. Alternate teeth of the pinion 59 are foreshortened, and the longer teeth cooperate with the circular periphery of wheel 51 to retain the pinion 59 locked in a fixed angular position except when engaged by the teeth BI and 93, at which time the single slot 55 in the wheel 51 permits the freedom for 120 advancement of one of the long teeth of the pinion 59.

The six-toothed gear end of pinion 59 normally engages with a twenty-tooth large gear 61. This gear is arranged on a hollow shaft 69, which rides freely on shaft 4|. A flange 1| is fixed to this hollow shaft, and a washer-like spring 13 is pinned to flange 1|. A longitudinally movable pin 15 is fitted into aligned passages therefor through gear 61 and flange 1 I, and is held to the leftward by spring 13.

Drum I3 is mounted upon a hub 11 which rides upon hollow shaft 69. Pin 15 extends into an aligned passage through drum I3 and hub 11, and serves at all times to key gear 51 to the drum I3. A passage 19 is provided in partition I9, to receive the end of pin 15 when the latter is deflected to the leftward and the drum I3 is at the zero reading position. A clearance hole 8| is provided in the next finger wheel 81, to permit pin 15 to extend freely through passage 19.

The reset control mechanism is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. A knob IIlI is provided on a shaft I03 which is borne in a bearing bushing I95 in end plate 25. Shaft I93 terminates at its righthand end in a drum portion I91, within which is fixed an end gear element I09 for selectivel engaging gear 43. This element I 09 may be fixed in place in the drum section I01 by setscrews, as illustrated at III.

The knob IllI, shaft I93, and drum section I01 are urged to the right by a compressed coil spring II3 which is inserted between end plate 25 and a flange I I5 at the right-hand end of drum portion I01. A pin II1 fixed in the drum I91 bears against a guide ring II9 having a single detent I2I therein. When pin H1 is at rest in detent I2I, under the pressure exerted by spring II3, gears I09 and 43 are disengaged, and shaft 4| is held substantially to its right-hand limit position by the meeting between its left-hand end and the socket therefor in the right-hand end of shaft I03. The right-hand smooth faces of bushings 5|, 53, and 55 then bear lightly against elements 31, 51 and 81, and in addition, they confine the hollow shafts of the large gears to the right-hand positions for full mesh with the respective transfer pinions.

In the operation of the above-described counter system, the mechanism between end plates 23 and 25 may be housed in a rectangular housing with an elongated horizontal window aligned with the 0 numeral as it appears on drum I5 in Fi 1. The gear 35 Or shaft 3| is coupled to external apparatus, wherein revolutions and tenth-revolution advancements are to be counted, the direction of rotation of the shaft 3| being clockwise, looking toward the counter end.

The knob IIlI is positioned with the pin H1 at rest in detent I2I. Gear-like elements 31 and 39 are fully engaged, and the rotation of gear 35 and shaft 3| causes equal rotation of drum I I, so that progressively higher numerals appear through the viewing window of the case.

The periphery of the revolving wheel 51 meanwhile retains pinion 59 locked against turning, so that drum I3 remains at the zero reading, and wheel 81 in turn locks pinion 89 with drum I5 reading zero.

As drum II completes a revolution, with its readings advancing from 9 to 0, wheel 51 arrives at the position of engagement of its teeth 5| and 63 with the six-toothed portion of pinion 59, and of register of its slot 55 with one of the elongated teeth, so that the pinion 59 is advanced to the extent of two of its six teeth, or revolution. This causes a. t; revolution angular advancement of gear 61, with a unit advancement from 009 to 010. Further advancement of shaft 3| provides further advancement of drum II, with drums I3 and I5 remaining fixed, until drum again makes its transfer from "9 to 0, with another unit advancement of drum I3 from 1 to 2.

In like manner, as the tenth revolution of drum II is being completed, bringing about the advancement of drum I3 from 9 to 0, wheel 81 moves through the position of engagement and advancement of pinion 89, transferring drum I5 from its 0 position to the position of the 1 reading.

After the counter system has been operated to provide a finite reading, e. g. 649, it may be desired to reset it to 000 for a further counting operation. This is effectuated simply by an axial outward movement of knob IGI and rotation thereof through a single revolution, in either the clockwise or the counterclockwise direction. The spring I01 causes the pin II1 to drop again into slot or detent I2 I, and the instrument again reads (000.1!

The reset action occurs as follows. The leftward axial movement of knob- IIlI brings gearlike element I89 into positive drive engagement with gear-like element 43, and further moves element 43 to the leftward by an appreciable predetermined distance. The serrated left-hand faces of elements 5!, 53 and 55 are brought into pressure contact with correspondingly serrated faces of elements 39, 61 and 91 (such as illustrated at 68 in Fig. 3), and these gear elements are shifted sufficiently to the leftward to bring about their disengagement from driver elements 31, 59 and 89, respectively.

The zero alignment and gear keying pins of the respective drums, as typified by pin 14 of drum II and pin 15 of drum I3, are brought to bear against the respective partition plates I1 and I9, at positions remote from the bores 18 and 19, due to the finite readings of the drums, the pins being urged to press against the partitions by their respective springs 12 and 13.

Now upon the rotation of the knob |0I in the 5 clockwise direction (as viewed end-on), all of the number wheels are revolved in the direction of progressive reduction of their numeral readings; Hence, during the turning of knob NH, with pin H7 riding on the end surface of ring I I9, the readings are seen to change from 649 to 538, to 427, to 316, to 205. Upon the arrival of drum [3 at the position, its pin 15 is shifted to the leftward in partition hole 19, the rotation of this drum being arrested, and the pressure of the serrated. face of element 53 against the serrated face 68 of gear 6'! being substantially relieved.

Further turning of knob l0! causes drums II and i to continue to revolve, with progression of the readings to 104 and then 003. Drum 15 then becomes locked at 0 by the seating of its pin (not shown) in partition 21. Yet further turning of the knob Iii! causes continued revolution of drum ll until it likewise looks at 0.

The knob till is turned onward until its revolution is completed, with pin H1 restored to its position of rest in detent I21, shaft 4| and gears 39, 6'1 and 81 accordingly being restored to their right-hand positions of normal operation, and the normal drive couplings being again fully effective.

For insuring smoothness in the restoration of mesh between the large central drum gears and their respective pinions, the zero-position reengaging teeth i26 and I28 may be bevelled, to guide the lower-most short tooth of the pinion into engagement therewith.

In the foregoing illustrative example of a reset operation, a clockwise revolution of knob I01 was assumed. A counterclockwise revolution is equally effective. Again assuming a reading of 649 just prior to the reset operation, the angular advancement of knob IBI carries the counter system through the successive readings 750, 860, 9'70, 080, 090, and 000', the drums remaining fixed after the last-named reading until the revolution of knob BI is completed.

In view of the locking of the drums at the respective zero positions, any further revolutions of the knob NH beyond the indent stop position leaves the drums undisturbed.

In the above examples, all drums had finite digital readings at the commencement of the reset operation. As will be readily apparent, if one drum is at its zero position at the commencement of a reset operation, its pin engages the partition hole immediately when the knob I0! is pulled out, and such drum remains fixed at its zero position throughout the reset operation.

The counter system as above described, is simple to manufacture, and makes extensive use of identical parts. Its masses are so distributed that it is capable of use in a high-speed counting application, and the drum positions are under positive control at all times.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense,

What, is claimed is:

frame having a series of partitions, a series of diggas-sa ital counter drums adjacent the respective partitions, intermittent motion drive intercouplers between successive ones of said drums, and reset means for simultaneously positively rotatably engaging a plurality of drums of said series and disengaging said drums from the driving elements therefor and for revolving said drums, each of said drums including means engageable only at the reference position of the drum with the next adjacent partition for indexing and locking the drum in its reference position, said last named means comprising means for arresting each drum at the reference position and releasing it from said reset means.

2. A cyclometer counter system comprising a series of drums aligned along an axis, a frame therefor including a series of fixed elements extending between successive ones of said drums, an intermittent drive element coupled to each lower-order drum, a driven element therefor coupled to the next higher-order drum in fixed angular positional relation thereto, shaft means extending axially through said series of drums, means for moving said shaft axially and angularly for resetting said drums, means in each of said drums responsive to axial movement of said shaft for coupling said shaft to said drums and for disengagement of said drums and the respective ones of said driven elements from the respective ones of said intermittent drive elements, and means responsive to rotary movement of said shaft when axially displaced from its normal rest position for individually arresting and indexing said drums to the respective ones of said fixed elements and releasing said drums individually from engagement with said shaft, said lastnarned means comprising means responsive to axial displacement of said shaft from its normal rest position to be urged into positions for engagement at predetermined angular positions with the respective fixed elements.

3. A cyclometer counter system comprising a series of number wheels; an intermittent drive coupling between each number wheel and the next higher order number Wheel; each intermittent drive ccupling comprising a finger gear on the lower order number wheel, a transfer pinion to be advanced through a predetermined angle by said finger gear at each revolution of the lower order number wheel, and a driven gear coupled to the higher order number wheel and normally in engagement with said transfer pinion; a rotatable and axially displaceable reset shaft extending coaxially through said number wheels, said reset shaft having a series of bushings fixed thereon intermediate the driven gears of the series of number wheels; a series of partitions intervening between the successive number wheels of said series, said partitions each having an eccentrically situated slot therein; and means responsive to axial displacement of said reset shaft in the direction from the lower-order nurnber wheels toward the higher-order number Wheels and rotation of said shaft in axially displaced position for disengaging said driven gears from mesh with said transfer pinions and rotating the respective number wheels and driven gears into predetermined angular positions of engagement with the respective slots in the respective partitions.

4. A cyclometer counter system comprising a frame having a series of mutually parallel partitions therein, a series of number wheels rotatably situated in the respective intervals between partitions, a transfer pinion between each lowerorder number wheel and the next higher-order number wheel, each lower-order number wheel including a finger gear element for intermittently engaging and advancing the transfer pinion and each higher-order number wheel including a full gear coupled to the next higher order number wheel and normally in engagement with the transfer pinion. and disnlaceable means for simultaneously disengaging all the full gears from the respective transfer pinions and rotating said full gears and said number wheels into predetermined zero positions and releasing each full gear and number wheel as it reaches its zero position, said last named means including indexing means between each number wheel and an adjacent partition, selectively engageable when said full gears are out of engagement with the respective transfer pinions to be displaced into a position of pressure against the respective partition, and being retained engaged with the respective drum for rotation therewith and for arrest thereof upon arrival at a recess in the respective partition.

5. A cyclometer counter system comprising a frame including a series of partitions, a series of axially aligned digital counter drums adjacent respective ones of said partitions, intermittent motion drive intercouplers between successive ones of said digital counter drums, said intercouplers including respective pinion elements rotatably supported by the respective ones of said partitions and gears in the respective ones of said drums fixed thereto for angular movement in predetermined fixed relation thereto and normally meshing with the respective pinion elements, a translatable and rotatable reset shaft extending axially through a plurality of said drums, means responsive to axial displacement of said reset shaft from its normal position for disengagement of the intercoupler pinions and the gears in the respective higher-order drums, means responsive to rotation of said reset shaft for rotation of said drums and respective gears therewith, and means responsive to axial displacement of said reset shaft from its normal posiiton for arresting the reset rotation of each drum upon the arrival thereof at a predetermined position and retaining the drum arrested until said reset shaft is restored to its normal rest position.

6. A cyclometer counter system as defined in claim 5, further including means for normally retaining said reset shaft in the axial position of mutual engagement of said intercoupler pinions and said respective hgher-order drums, and means for selectively holding said reset shaft axially displaced from said axial position of engagement of said intercoupler pinions and said respective higher-order drums throughout a revolution of said reset shaft.

7. A cyclometer counter system as defined in claim 5, wherein said reset shaft includes means for positively retaining said pinion elements and said gears in the respective ones of said drums respectively engaged when said reset shaft is at the normal rest position limit of its axial movemen, said system further including elastic means normally retaining said reset shaft at said one limit of its axial movement.

3. A cyclometer counter system as defined in claim 5, wherein the axes of said pinion elements are parallel to said reset shaft and are displaced therefrom, said pinion elements each having alternate teeth foreshortened at the ends toward the lower-order one of the adjacent digital counter drums for cam-locking against angular movement during advancement of the numeral readings of the lower-order one of the adjacent digital counter drums.

9. A cyclometer counter system comprising a frame including a series of partitions, a series of axially aligned digital counter drums adjacent respective ones of said partitions, intermittent motion drive intercouplers between successive ones of said digital counter drums, said intercouplers including respective pinion elements rotatably supported by the respective ones of said partitions and gearing means in said drums normally meshing therewith, a translatable and rotatable reset shaft extending axially through a plurality of said drums, means responsive to axial displacement of said reset shaft from its normal position for disengagement of the intercoupler pinions and the respective higher-order drums, means responsive to rotation of said reset shaft for rotation of said drums therewith, and means responsive to axial displacement of said reset shaft from its normal position for arresting the reset rotation of each drum upon the arrival thereof at a predetermined position, said means responsive to displacement of said reset shaft from its normal position for arresting the reset rotation of each drum comprising spring detent locking means for pinning each drum to an adjacent partition, one of said last two elements having recess-defining means and the other of said last two elements having an elasticallyurged projecting member for engagement therein upon arrival of the drum at its predetermined angular position of reset locking.

10. A cyclometer counter system comprising a frame, a series of rotatable digital counter drums aligned along an axis therein, intermittent motion drive intercouplers between successive ones of said drums actuated upon the completion of each revolution of the lower-order drum for advancing the higher-order drum. by one unit, and reset means for simultaneously engaging a plurality of drums of said series and revolving said drums in unison to predetermined positions; said reset means including a translatable and rotatable reset shaft extending coaxially through said drums, means in each drum responsive to axial displacement of said shaft from its normal reset position for disengaging the drum from the respective intermittent motion drive intercoupler, means in each drum for engaging said frame upon attainment of a predetermined angular position of the drum during the reset operation to arrest the drum, and means responsive to axial displacement of said shaft from its normal rest position for activating said engaging means to the condition for engaging said frame, and responsive to axial restoration of said shaft to its normal rest position for restricting said engaging means to a position of freedom from engagement with said frame.

11. A cyclometer counter system as defined in claim 10, wherein the lowest-order drum is rotatable in either direction for registering, whereby angular motion thereof may be employed selectively for increasing or decreasing the registered amount, and said reset shaft is rotatable in either direction to restore said drums to their predetermined positions.

12. A cyclometer counter system as defined in claim 10, wherein said frame comprises a series of partitions situated between the successive drums of the series, each partition having a hole therein at a predetermined radial distance from 9 the axis of said drums and said reset shaft, the intermittent motion drive intercoupler for each higher-order drum comprising a concentric gear therein, and a transfer pinion normally in mesh therewith pivotally supported by an adjacent partition, said reset means including an elastically urged translatable pin in each drum situated parallel with said axes of said drums and said reset shaft at said predetermined radial distance therefrom, said reset shaft including means responsive to displacement thereof from its normal rest position for disengaging the concentric gears from the respective transfer pinions l0 and positioning said elastically urged pins for engagement in the respective partition holes upon attainment of the predetermined drum positions.

ADOLF HOLZNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,568,709 Bliss Sept. 25, 1951 

